The party guests followed at a respectful distance as Officer Martinez, Arthur, Nora, and a very pale Richard walked down the carpeted hallway toward the hotel management office. Lily held onto her mother's hand tightly, her small fingers holding Nora's palm as if her life depended on it. Her crying had stopped, but her cheeks were still wet with red tear tracks. Nora walked with her head held high, her dark green dress trailing cleanly behind her as she entered the security monitoring room.
Security Guard: Welcome, officers. We have the footage pulled up from two o'clock.
Officer Martinez: Play the main camera focused on the front table.
Richard: This is a complete waste of police time!
Officer Martinez: Sit down and be quiet, sir.
The large flat screens on the wall flickered as the security guard pressed play on the digital control pad. High-resolution color video filled the central screen showing the bright ballroom under the daylight. The camera angle showed a clear overhead view of the exact area where the incident occurred. In the video, guests were chatting near the flower displays and dessert stands. Victoria's diamond ring sat in a open velvet box on a raised glass stand.
Nora: There is Lily by the juice station.
Arthur: Notice the timestamp: one forty-five PM.
On the screen, small Lily was standing politely by the juice fountain, holding her paper cup with both hands. She was at least thirty feet away from the display table where the ring was kept. She never walked toward the ring box at any point during the ten-minute clip. But then, a man in a pinstripe tuxedo walked into the frame from the left side.
Officer Martinez: Is that you, Mr. Sterling?
Richard: I was just checking on the security of the display!
Nora: Keep watching the screen, Officer.
The video clearly showed Richard reaching out toward the velvet box. Instead of securing the ring, his hand quickly slipped the entire box into his own right tuxedo pocket. He looked around nervously to see if anyone was watching. A few seconds later, he walked over to the juice station, intentionally bumped into little Lily, and violently pushed her down onto the floor while shouting for attention.
Lily: Look, Mommy! He took it himself!
Nora: Yes he did, sweetie. He put it in his own pocket.
Officer Martinez: Well, well. That is very interesting footage, Mr. Sterling.
Richard: I... I was keeping it safe! I thought she was going to grab it!
Arthur: You intentionally framed a seven-year-old child to claim trustee incompetence against my client!
Richard: You cannot prove my internal thoughts!
Officer Martinez: Sir, reach into your right pocket right now and pull out that velvet box.
Richard stood completely still in the center of the small room. His eyes darted toward the door, but the second police officer was standing right in the doorway, blocking his exit path. Slowly, with shaking fingers, Richard reached deep into his pinstripe jacket and pulled out the small blue velvet box. He held it out with a trembling hand, his face pale and dripping with cold sweat.
Officer Martinez: Place it on the table, sir.
Richard: It was a mistake... I was under immense financial stress!
Nora: You pushed my daughter to save your failed company!
Arthur: This is clear evidence of filing a false police report, grand larceny framing, and felony child endangerment.